Stormwater Management

Moreland Hills is
located in the Chagrin River Watershed which is part of the Lake Erie
watershed. A watershed is an area or ridge of land that feeds all the water
running under it and draining off it into different rivers, lakes or seas. Many
residents in our village use Lake Erie as their drinking water supply. We need
to keep our watershed healthy and productive, because it keeps us healthy and
productive.

The first step in storm water
management is understanding where all the water we use every day ends up.
Water from inside our home's plumbing system goes directly into the sewer
system and then to a treatment plant where it is cleaned and released into our
streams and rivers. Homeowner septic systems perform this task in the absence
of a sewer system. Water that we use in our yards and driveways seeps into the
ground and finds its way into storm sewers or streams.

Stormwater is rain or
melting snow and ice that flows across land surfaces to the nearest storm
sewer, ditch, stream or lake. As it travels
along, stormwater collects dirt and pollutants such as litter, debris
oils, pesticides fertilizers and pet waste. The initial pulse
of stormwater from a rain storm contains the greatest volume of water
and highest level of pollutants and goes directly to our watershed without the
benefit of a treatment plant. This pulse is often referred to as the
"first flush.” Homeowners can avoid contributing pollutants to this
first flush by eliminating pesticides, using organic fertilizers, avoid dumping
phosphate contaminated water (such as car washing cleaners) over hillsides and
by removing pet waste from lawns and public hiking trails.

Learn more about what you can do
to manage stormwater and decrease pollution from the Chagrin River
Watershed Partners, www.crwp.org. Their website provides
detailed information about using rain barrels, disconnecting downspouts,
managing backyard streams, and landscaping practices, such as rain gardens
and tree and shrub planting. They will do on-site consultations free of charge
to help homeowners with flooding and storm water management, stream bank
or hillside erosion, wetland verification, and pond maintenance. They can be
reached at 440-975-3870.

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The Village is
currently working with the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District
to educate our residents about stormwater management. Their
stormwater education theme for 2018 is On the Road to Clean Water

Dumping anything other than water down the storm
drain or in the creek isn’t just a bad idea, it’s ILLEGAL.

In areas with separate sewers, storm drains and storm
sewers flow directly to local creeks and Lake Erie. In older areas with
combined sewers, storm sewers often flow directly to wastewater treatment
plants, where pollutants can upset the water treatment process.

Many common household and automotive wastes are highly toxic
in the aquatic ecosystem. These wastes kill fish and amphibians and
drastically alter water chemistry. The most common substances that are
dumped illegally in storm drains and creeks are: paint, automotive fluids,
concrete washout, lawn chemicals, and cooking oils.

In April 2012, illegal dumping of a metal plating chemical
down a storm drain (which flows to the river) killed 31,000 fish along 3 miles
of the East Branch of the Rocky River in Cuyahoga County!

IF YOU WITNESS
ILLEGAL DUMPING, PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT 440.248.1188.
Visit www.cuyahogaswcd.org

You can help combat
stormwater pollution by shrinking your lawn! Planting native plants can improve
the curb appeal of a home, boost its resale value, all while protecting our
environment with their long root systems which hold in soil, slow stormwater
runoff and provide vital food and habitat for birds, insect pollinators and many
other species.

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CUYAHOGA SWCD EVENTS:

The following
events hosted by the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District are
available to all Moreland Hills residents. These are great opportunities
for homeowners, students, teachers, and anyone who wants to be a part of
conservation.

Codes Workshop- Wednesday, November 7, 2018- 10:00am-12:30pm - Chagrin River Watershed Partners (CRWP) maintains a suite of model codes to assist communities in addressing flooding and streambank erosion by managing the amount of runoff entering their municipal stormwater or combined sewer systems. This workshop is designed for planners, engineers, and building department staff, watershed organizations, landscape architects, and stormwater professionals interested in codes and programming to improve stormwater management and reduce impervious cover. We will present our new model downspout disconnection code as well as our model off-parking code and methods of implementation. Registration by Calling CRWP at 440-975-3870 #1003 or abeattie@crwp.org

Landscaper Workshop- Thursday, November 15, 2018- 10:00am-12:30pm and 1:30pm-4:00pm- A workshop for landscape architects, landscape professionals, and contractors interested in learning more about how to design, install and maintain residential stormwater runoff reduction practices and provide feedback on potential incentive programs to expand use of these practices. Registration by Calling Alicia Beattie at 440-975-3870 #1003 or abeattie@crwp.org

Stormwater is any rainwater or melting snow or ice that
flows over the surface of the land to the nearest storm sewer, stream, or lake.
Impervious or hard surfaces like driveways, rooftops, and parking lots
all pose several stormwater problems. Runoff picks up fertilizer, oil,
pesticides, dirt, bacteria and other pollutants as it makes its way over these
hard surfaces to storm drains, ditches, and streams. Hard surfaces also make
stormwater flow faster, and the rush of stormwater flowing into storm sewer systems
when heavy rain falls can back up and cause street flooding. Excessive
stormwater runoff entering the regional stream system increases flooding and
erosion, reduces water quality, and creates costly problems to communities and
their residents. Unlike water from toilets, showers, and sinks that is
filtered through a wastewater treatment facility, anything that enters storm
sewer systems or roadside ditches goes directly into our local streams and
eventually Lake Erie.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District’s (Sewer District)
Regional Stormwater Management Program takes a regional approach to address
stormwater pollution, flooding, erosion and water quality problems. The
Program provides stormwater services throughout the regional stream system and
is funded by a fee on customers’ Sewer District bills. Your fees are
calculated based on the amount of impervious surface area on your property,
such as rooftops, driveways, and patios. When property owners make
changes or improvements on their properties to reduce the amount of runoff
affecting the regional stream system and storm sewers, they may be eligible for
a reduction in what they are paying, called a fee credit. Actions like
disconnecting downspouts, installing rain barrels, or planting rain gardens are
some of the ways you can better control runoff on your property and potentially
receive a fee credit.

Chagrin River Watershed Partners (CRWP) is working with West
Creek Conservancy (WCC), Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners (TCWP), and the
Sewer District to help residential property owners manage stormwater and
increase participation in the Sewer District’s fee credit program. CRWP,
WCC, and TCWP can perform free stormwater consultations to assist interested
Sewer District customers on:

Addressing
other flooding, erosion, or water quality issues on your property

Interested residents can take this Stormwater Survey and
sign up for a free consultation. You can also schedule a consultation by
contacting Kristen Hebebrand, CRWP Project Manager at 440-975-3870 or khebebrand@crwp.org

This collaboration between the Sewer District, CRWP, and
other local watershed organizations hopes to assist Sewer District customers
with better stormwater management on their properties and work towards the
Sewer District’s goal of fewer flooding and erosion incidents, healthier
waterways, and a better quality of life for the Greater Cleveland area!